Social Media Forecast: Users Will Grow 1.7%.

Total users of social networks in the U.S. will continue to grow in 2025 and through 2029, while time spent among adult users should hit its peak this year, according to eMarketer’s U.S. Social Network Forecasts report for 2025.

The report estimates that year-over-year, total users will grow 1.7% to 236.5 million, with adult users — which account for 90% of total users — up 1.9% to 212.8 million, with annual growth expected to continue at just above 1% for the next four years.

“That suggests that social networks still have some runway, especially as they lean further into video,” eMarketer’s report says. “Growth will begin to slow in the coming years, suggesting saturation isn’t too far off.”

Meanwhile, the report notes that daily time spent on social networks by adult users “has hit a wall” and is projected to peak in 2025, at 1 hour 54 minutes. “We expect slight declines starting next year, meaning social networks will put even more emphasis on keeping users engaged,” it says.

eMarketer expects adults to spend 61% of their total daily time on social networks in 2025, or 69 minutes, with social video. As a result, the report says that social networks fighting for longer user engagement will lean into video, creators, messaging, and AI, and social networks lacking strong video features, such as Snapchat and X, will see losses.

Looking at social media’s major players, eMarketer sees Facebook’s growth “essentially flat” this and next year, with total users of YouTube CTV passing Facebook users by 2027. While Instagram is expected to continue to see healthy growth, with its user base up 3.7% vs. 2024 — a growth rate similar to LinkedIn and Pinterest — TikTok’s base is growing at a faster rate, with greater time spent than any other social network, even as its future remains uncertain.

The report also notes that while Reddit currently captures only about 1% of U.S. social network ad spend, even while having a large user base and significant time spent among users, advertisers should “keep it on their radar, [as] it’s increasingly becoming a social network that marketers can’t avoid.”

Brands should also be prioritizing messaging when it comes to advertising, eMarketers says, and “should consider how to use creators in other aspects of their marketing. Forward-thinking brands will level up by incorporating them into out-of-home, retail media, CTV, and other channels.”